TECHNOLOGY FOR EVERYONE
Hasselbring and Bausch in "Assistive Technologies for Reading" bring to light that most teachers are unaware of the potential for assistive technologies. Today 10% of students receive special education resources. Half of these students have a learning disability. Inclusion has 44% of students with learning disabilities in the classroom 80% or more of the day. With more of the learning disabled students in the classroom specialized support should be available. The potential of assistive technologies could possibly empower students to work independently at grade level. Most students will not work independently due to the lack of confidence. As Hasselbring and Bausch point out there are a wide range of Assistive Technologies for literacy, reading supports and much more.
REFERENCE POINTS
- Students with Learning Disabilities are in the classroom 80% to 100% of the time
- Assistive Technology could empower students with disabilities to become more independent
- Teachers are usually not aware of the different types of Assistive Technology available
- Assistive Technology
- Can be anything that can be used to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities (IDEA, 1990).
- Teachers must learn to guide students use of technological applications to enhance their success.
- Assistive Technology for Literacy has two main supports Reading Supports and Reading Intervention
- Reading Support offers text-reader software
- Reading Intervention offers reading intervention software for fluency and comprehension
It is truely unbelievable how many options are available to students with a learning disabled. There are however two main problems I see with assistive technology. One, money is not always available. Two, some students are resistant to doing something different than their peers. I have a student in my class who has little to no capability to move his arms. Instead of using some of the technology offered he chooses to write with his feet. When it come to using a computer or opening his locker his feet are his hands. I feel that all students should have whatever he might need to help him or her to be successful at reading grade level.
